The Caregiver's Guide to Dementia - (Caregiver's Guides) by Gail Weatherill (Paperback)

About the Book

"When caring for someone with dementia, your own mental stability can be the single most critical factor in your loved one's quality of life. [This book provides] guidance to understanding the illness, caring for someone, and caring for yourself. From understanding common behavioral and mood changes to making financial decisions, [it] contains bulleted lists of actions you can take to improve your health and your caregiving"--ONIX annotation.

Book Synopsis

Care for yourself, while caring for a loved one with dementia

When caring for someone with dementia, your own mental stability can be the single most critical factor in your loved one's quality of life. The Caregiver's Guide to Dementia brings practical and comprehensive guidance to understanding the illness, caring for someone, and caring for yourself.

From understanding common behavioral and mood changes to making financial decisions, this Alzheimer's book contains bulleted lists of actions you can take to improve your health and your caregiving. Inspirational and compassionate, it focuses on the caregiver's underlying love and humanity that cannot be taken away by any disease.

In The Caregiver's Guide to Dementia you'll find:

Dementia defined--Understand dementia and its many forms, with an explanation of the illness and its variations.

Caregiver wellness--At the end of each chapter, a small section provides relaxation and mindfulness exercises and reflection for dementia caregivers.

A practical approach--The back of the book is filled with resources, from financial planning to tips on safety, along with questions for health care professionals, lawyers, accountants, therapists, and friends.

Review Quotes

"The Caregiver's Guide to Dementia is a must-read for family caregivers dealing with the many forms of dementia and brain failure. Filled with practical information, action steps, resources, and encouragement, Gail's compassionate and expert knowledge is evident on every page. I highly recommend this book for families to use as a trusted reference that offers guidance, support, and, most of all, hope."--Michelle Podlesni, president of the National Nurses in Business Association

"The Caregiver's Guide to Dementia presents readers with a wealth of valuable information that is organized for easy accessibility. An indispensable tool for both new and seasoned caregivers, it will become a classic."--Carol Bradley Bursack, journalist in elder care issues, author of Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories

"This book is a necessity for anyone new to or dealing with dementia. It is filled with sound information, shares great examples, gives the reader questions to ask, guides them on things to say and do, and helps those who care for others learn to pause in order to evaluate their own health and life balance."--Lori La Bey, founder of Alzheimer's Speaks (www.AlzheimersSpeaks.com)

"As a neurologist and caregiver for my father who had Alzheimer's, I wish my mother and I had had access to a resource as practical and helpful as The Caregiver's Guide. What sets the book apart is its consistent attention to caregiver health and well-being, imploring them to stop and check in with themselves, making use of mindfulness and other techniques of centering in the present moment. Gail's rich experience, knowledge, and compassion come through on every page. This book gets my highest recommendation."--Daniel C. Potts, MD, FAAN, neurologist, author, advocate

"Gail draws on her decades of experience to give dementia caregivers exactly what they need on this journey. The depth of her love and care comes across on every page, and it is so clear that she GETS IT. The lists of what to do or say, and what to ask the doctor, take this book to the next level as a resource caregivers can actually USE in their day-to-day experience. I recommend this book to all caregivers."--Lisa K. Baker, Ph.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist & Dementia Coach

About the Author

GAIL WEATHERILL has been a registered nurse for 40 years, specializing in the care of people living with dementia and their families for the past two decades. As a certified Alzheimer educator and the co-founder of the online support group, Alzheimer's and Dementia Caregivers Support with over 50,000 members worldwide, Gail now trains and coaches family and professional caregivers as "the Dementia Nurse." You can learn more about Gail's advocacy at www.thedementianurse.com.